1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to dispensers for dispensing fluent materials, and more particularly to a dispenser which dispenses discrete measured portions of such materials and which is particularly adaptable for dispensing measured portions of selectable volume.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of proposals for dispensing discrete measured amounts of a fluent material are shown by the related art, including specific devices as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,569,257, issued to parker on Sept. 25, 1951; 2,691,467 issued to Holbrook on Oct. 12, 1954; 2,779,512 issued to Steele et al. on Jan. 29, 1957; 2,920,796 issued to Field on Jan. 12, 1960; 3,169,668 issued to Ziegler on Feb. 16, 1965; and 3,332,584 issued to Pennington on July 25, 1967. Of the above references. Parker, Steele and Ziegler are perhaps the most relevant to my invention which is described and claimed below.
Parker shows a hot coffee dispenser having three separate dispensing mechanisms, one each for coffee, cream and sugar. The coffee dispensing mechanism includes a hollow horizontally oriented cylindrical body of circular cross section and having closed ends. The hollow cylindrical body is rotatably mounted within a solid block. A port in the side wall of the hollow cylindrical body is normally in register with a fill spout thereabove which communicates with a reservoir of hot coffee. The hollow cylindrical body is rotatable such that the port is in register with a lower drain spout, thereby dispensing a measured amount of coffee determined by the volume of the hollow cylindrical body.
The cream dispensing mechanism includes a hollow container reciprocally mounted within a longitudinal bore. The container has an inlet opening in the top thereof and an offset outlet opening in its bottom wall. At one end of its path of travel, the inlet opening is in register with an inlet spout communicating with a cream reservoir. At the other end of its path of travel, the outlet opening is in register with a lower drain spout.
The sugar dispensing mechanism includes a block having a longitudinal bore with an upper inlet port and an offset lower outlet port. Reciprocally mounted therein is a block having a plate secured thereto in spaced relationship to one end thereof. The reciprocating block is movable from a first position wherein the space between the block and plate is in register with the inlet port, and a second position wherein the space between the block and plate is in register with the outlet port.
Steele shows a rotatable valve member having two radially opposite measuring pockets which alternately receive powder from above and discharge it below as the valve member is rotated. The volume of the measuring pockets is adjustable by means of a longitudinally moveable end wall.
Ziegler shows a device mountable to a container of instant coffee for dispensing a measured amount thereof. It includes a cylinder mounted to the top of the container and having a longitudinal inlet slot and a radially opposite longitudinal outlet slot. Rotatably mounted within the cylinder is a closed-end measuring sleeve having a longitudinal opening in the side wall thereof, which opening is alternately registrable with the inlet slot and the outlet slot of the cylinder as the sleeve is rotated.